Pizza Bianca gets another audition for Royal Ascot in Hilltop

After getting beat in her 3-year-old debut, Pizza Bianca, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner, will have her second audition for a potential start at the Royal Ascot meet when she runs in Friday’s $100,000 Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico.

Pizza Bianca, trained by Christophe Clement for owner Bobby Flay, was beaten three-quarters of a length by Consumer Spending in the Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct on April 24. She had no real excuse in the race, just getting outfinished by a quality filly on the day.

“Jose Ortiz rode her like the best horse, which was the right call, but he was a bit aggressive. He was wide all the way,” Clement said. “She ran a good race. Both horses finished well and were well clear of the third horse.”

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A victory in the Memories of Silver might have been all Pizza Bianca would have done before a trip to Royal Ascot, where she would be looking to run in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes. Now, owner Bobby Flay and Clement want another start before that June 17 race.

“It’s nice to run her back to see where we’re at with her,” Clement said.

Clement was not using the layoff as an excuse for Pizza Bianca’s defeat.

“She trained well before the first race and she’s trained well since the first race,” Clement said. “She looks well. She should be perfectly fit now. Everything is great except we’re not running at home.”

Clement also entered Diamond Hands, a daughter of Frosted who won her maiden last November at Belmont in front-running fashion but who has not run since. She was entered in a Belmont allowance on May 7 that was rained off the turf.

“I think she’s doing well and she deserves a shot,” Clement said.

Trainer Graham Motion has won the Hilltop five times including last year with Alda. Friday, he’ll send out Vergara, a 3-year-old daughter of Noble Mission.

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Vergara is 2 for 2 going long on turf, including a victory in the Tepin Stakes at Aqueduct last November. Motion tried her in the Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park, a race he regrets running her in after Vergara drew the outside post in a 12-horse field and had a very wide trip in finishing eighth.

“I would consider this her first start,” Motion said.

She has the outside draw again in this eight-horse field, but that shouldn’t be as problematic as facing a Breeders’ Cup winner.

“I hadn’t expected a filly like Pizza Bianca to be in here,” Motion said. “I’ve always liked this filly a lot. She’s always done everything nicely. I wouldn’t be surprised if she wants to go farther.”

Vergara will race on Lasix for the first time as the anti-bleeding medication is permissible in Maryland in non-graded stakes.

Lady Puchi is in from Florida for Antonio Sano. Hail To is down from New York for Tom Albertrani. Murph showed speed when fourth her turf debut at Laurel on April 24. Phil Schoenthal entered both the maiden winner Determined Star and the maiden Determined Gold.

The Hilltop goes as race 9 on the 14-race card.